What does it actually look like to practice therapy mindfully? How do therapists hold space for complex emotions while maintaining their own groundedness and capacity? This month, we're sharing an intimate glimpse into the daily practice of Madison Parikka, AMFT, one of our associate therapists at Center for Mindful Psychotherapy. Her video offers more than a "day in the life."...
You know you need help processing your trauma. Maybe it's PTSD from a difficult experience, anxiety that traces back to childhood wounds, or depression rooted in unresolved grief. You've started researching trauma therapy in the Bay Area, and you've discovered something both exciting and overwhelming: there are dozens of specialized approaches, from Brainspotting to EMDR to Somatic Experiencing to Internal...
In our Conversations with Clinicians series, we interview therapists in more depth. They share more about the work that they do, the clients that they work with, their inspirations, passions, personal interests and more. Today, we're talking with Rachel Lefkowitz Parnes. Rachel's journey to becoming a therapist is one of profound personal transformation. She first became aware of her own...
This guest post is offered by our associate therapist Madison Parikka, AMFT, who received her MA in counseling psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She shares, "I see therapy as a coming together, an exploration, and a place to look inward - to see and be seen." In this beautiful post, she shares her own love letter to...
This guest post is offered by our associate therapist Madison Parikka, AMFT, who brings a warm, curious, and compassionate presence to her clinical work. Madison draws from the inherent wisdom of the mind, body, and spirit, and integrates creativity, nature, and mindfulness into her therapeutic approach. She supports adults, teens, couples, and LGBTQIA+ community members in exploring identity, relationships, life...
In this video, Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, MA, AMFT, a somatic therapist at the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, explains what somatic therapy is and demonstrates how it works differently from traditional talk therapy. Using a live example of working with anxiety, Phoenix shows how changing the state of the body can shift emotional experiences—offering clients more agency and choice in...
This is a book review by Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon, MA, AMFT, a somatic therapist at the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy who specializes in supporting individuals working through eating disorders, body image concerns, anxiety, and trauma recovery. In this review, Phoenix reflects on Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths,...
In this post, we share a video from associate therapist Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon demonstrating a simple yet powerful somatic practice for shoulder tension relief, and explore why our typical approach to relaxation often backfires. Plus we share some of the neuroscience behind why working with contrast, rather than against your body, creates lasting change. Why Trying to Force Relaxation...
Associate therapist Erma Kyriakos is offering an online holiday support group this year. The holidays can be tough for many reasons and it helps to have a place to connect during this time. When the Most Wonderful Time of Year Doesn't Feel Wonderful At All The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, connection, and celebration....
This is a guest post explaining what somatic therapy really is offered by our associate therapist Phoenix L. Quetzal DeLeon. Phoenix brings more than 25 years of experience in teaching and bodywork into their therapy practice, where they specialize in supporting people working through anxiety, trauma, and body image concerns. If you’ve ever wondered what somatic therapy is, and...